By By Chandler Myers
Perseverance and hard work during the summer heat paid off for the varsity and junior varsity cheerleading squads at Escambia Academy as each finished first in the “Home Pom” competition at the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA) cheer clinic at Huntingdon College from July 20-23 for the AISA West Division.
The “Home Pom” is a dance that is choreographed entirely by the squad led by their captain and co-captain and then performed to music selected by the captain and co-captain.
Varsity cheerleader sponsor Cyndi Vaughn said she was excited with the peformance by her squad and the result of their hard work.
The junior varsity squad worked just as hard as their older counterparts and faced the challenge of working in several new girls on the squad.
Junior varsity cheerleading sponsor and Escambia Academy teacher Bobbi Sasser said her squad did a fantastic job of working hard and placing first.
The junior varsity did not put in two a days like the varsity cheer squad did, but they worked just as hard in the brunt of the summer heat.
Sasser said they worked constantly for several hours a day just to make sure they knew their routine.
The squads were each judged on choreography, facial expressions, orginiality of the dance, synchronization, music choice and energy level.
Both the varsity and junior varsity squads received the highest marks on their evaluation forms to win the competition.
Varsity cheerleading captain Kay Leigh Miller said that her squad pushed themselves as hard as they could so they could win.
Along with winning the “Home Pom” competition, the varsity squad also received a third-place honor in the “Extreme Routine,” which is taught at the clinic.
An individual honor also went to Miller who was selected as an AISA All-Star Cheerleader as well as a UCA All-Star. The UCA All-Stars are performing in London, England at a New Year’s Day Parade.